dead battery

Steve wrote:

> > Batteries last for 4 years, if you got 7 out of this one it must
> > have been one hell of a battery

> The wheel well location keeps the battery MUCH cooler than
> other under-hood locations, which has a lot to do with the
> long life of batteries in these cars and the LH cars.

My '00 300m still has it's original battery (and antifreeze for that
matter). I took delivery of it on Nov 1/99, so the battery is at least
9 years old at this point. The climate the car lives and drives in is
the great lakes area (Detroit / Buffalo / Toronto / Cleveland) so it
sees hot summers (for 6 to 8 weeks anyways) and cold winters. But it's
always garaged at night and rarely will experience an overnight
temperature below 45 f.

And yes, the battery is located low, just infront of the wheel well -
but I don't think it's isolated or shielded from exposure to under-hood
heat (there isin't much room in there as it is for air circulation).

On Dec 15, 8:47*am, MoPar Man > wrote:
> Steve wrote:
> > > Batteries last for 4 years, if you got 7 out of this one it must
> > > have been one hell of a battery
> > The wheel well location keeps the battery MUCH cooler than
> > other under-hood locations, which has a lot to do with the
> > long life of batteries in these cars and the LH cars.
>
> My '00 300m still has it's original battery (and antifreeze for that
> matter). *I took delivery of it on Nov 1/99, so the battery is at least
> 9 years old at this point. *The climate the car lives and drives in is
> the great lakes area (Detroit / Buffalo / Toronto / Cleveland) so it
> sees hot summers (for 6 to 8 weeks anyways) and cold winters. *But it's
> always garaged at night and rarely will experience an overnight
> temperature below 45 f.
>
> And yes, the battery is located low, just infront of the wheel well -
> but I don't think it's isolated or shielded from exposure to under-hood
> heat (there isin't much room in there as it is for air circulation).

If it's like my 1998 Status, it's not bad at all. The Owner's Manual
says that the battery can be removed without removing the LF wheel,
but I found it to be easier with the wheel removed. The plastic panel
is easy to remove. After that, there is one bolt, along with the "GM"
style battery connectors. When I did mine, I disconnected the positive
cable under the hood as a precaution.

-KM

MoPar Man wrote:
> Steve wrote:
>
>>> Batteries last for 4 years, if you got 7 out of this one it must
>>> have been one hell of a battery
>
>> The wheel well location keeps the battery MUCH cooler than
>> other under-hood locations, which has a lot to do with the
>> long life of batteries in these cars and the LH cars.
>
> My '00 300m still has it's original battery (and antifreeze for that
> matter). I took delivery of it on Nov 1/99, so the battery is at least
> 9 years old at this point. The climate the car lives and drives in is
> the great lakes area (Detroit / Buffalo / Toronto / Cleveland) so it
> sees hot summers (for 6 to 8 weeks anyways) and cold winters. But it's
> always garaged at night and rarely will experience an overnight
> temperature below 45 f.
>
> And yes, the battery is located low, just infront of the wheel well -
> but I don't think it's isolated or shielded from exposure to under-hood
> heat (there isin't much room in there as it is for air circulation).

It wouldn't surprise me if that location was 40-50 degrees F cooler than
right up under the hood at the top of the engine bay, above the exhaust
manifolds and directly aft of the cooling fans the way most other cars are.

Your climate is about ideal for batteries. Cold may make the car hard to
start, but it doesn't damage batteries in the long run.... extended
operation in HEAT on the other hand is deadly to batteries.

Steve wrote:
> MoPar Man wrote:
>> Steve wrote:

>> And yes, the battery is located low, just infront of the wheel well -
>> but I don't think it's isolated or shielded from exposure to under-hood
>> heat (there isin't much room in there as it is for air circulation).
>
> It wouldn't surprise me if that location was 40-50 degrees F cooler than
> right up under the hood at the top of the engine bay, above the exhaust
> manifolds and directly aft of the cooling fans the way most other cars are...

Right answer - the battery is essentially in a separate compartment
(shielded from engine compartement radiant heat by the fender well and
air filter box), as well as having ambient air - forced convection -
flowing thru that area.

--
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

In article >,
Steve > wrote:

> General Schvantzkoph wrote:
> > On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:13:11 +0000, Even Stephen wrote:
> >
> >> My son's Sebring sat out for 8 days (NE Ohio) during a winter snow and
> >> would not start. AAA "jump started" it so he could get to work. The
> >> battery dead again and won't accept a jump start again. Could it be just
> >> a dead battery (7 years old) or battery/alternator? Thanks!
> >
> > Batteries last for 4 years, if you got 7 out of this one it must have
> > been one hell of a battery, I'd buy another of the same brand.
>
> The wheel well location keeps the battery MUCH cooler than other
> under-hood locations, which has a lot to do with the long life of
> batteries in these cars and the LH cars.

I'm sure that's the case, a much cooler location for the battery,
particularly when one stops with a hot engine.
My wife's 2001 V6 Sebring battery is now 7.5 years old. Our weather can
be quite hot 30°C in the summer, but for only several weeks. Winter can
be down to -10°C, so it needs good starting power. It's still very
strong.
The other cars we've had the battery was located above beside the engine
and 4 to 6 years has been the life.

.....wow. This has all been an education.

"Some O" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Steve > wrote:
>
>> General Schvantzkoph wrote:
>> > On Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:13:11 +0000, Even Stephen wrote:
>> >
>> >> My son's Sebring sat out for 8 days (NE Ohio) during a winter snow and
>> >> would not start. AAA "jump started" it so he could get to work. The
>> >> battery dead again and won't accept a jump start again. Could it be
>> >> just
>> >> a dead battery (7 years old) or battery/alternator? Thanks!
>> >
>> > Batteries last for 4 years, if you got 7 out of this one it must have
>> > been one hell of a battery, I'd buy another of the same brand.
>>
>> The wheel well location keeps the battery MUCH cooler than other
>> under-hood locations, which has a lot to do with the long life of
>> batteries in these cars and the LH cars.
>
> I'm sure that's the case, a much cooler location for the battery,
> particularly when one stops with a hot engine.
> My wife's 2001 V6 Sebring battery is now 7.5 years old. Our weather can
> be quite hot 30°C in the summer, but for only several weeks. Winter can
> be down to -10°C, so it needs good starting power. It's still very
> strong.
> The other cars we've had the battery was located above beside the engine
> and 4 to 6 years has been the life.

I think its just luck when you get long life out of a battery. My wife
has a 1997 Honda that sits in an unheated shed and we just replaced the
battery. I have a 2003 Shadow and if I get two years out of it I'm
happy.I even put my battery in the house and it still dropped dead
Wouldn't even take a charge.I put a Wally Mart battery in my trike and
it sits out side from november untill may and it's been spinning that VW
motor over for six yeas.

You just get a bad one sometimes.
Jerry


http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage


http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/1974Tryke

Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> I think its just luck when you get long life out of a battery. My wife
> has a 1997 Honda that sits in an unheated shed and we just replaced the
> battery. I have a 2003 Shadow and if I get two years out of it I'm
> happy.I even put my battery in the house and it still dropped dead
> Wouldn't even take a charge.I put a Wally Mart battery in my trike and
> it sits out side from november untill may and it's been spinning that VW
> motor over for six yeas.
>
> You just get a bad one sometimes.
> Jerry
>
>
> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage
>
>
> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/1974Tryke
>

Generally, heat kills batteries. You can relate that to each example
you gave. Batteries in 2nd gen. LH cars last many, many years. Why?
Because the battery is buried in one of the front fenders, shielded from
engine heat.

--
Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')